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THREAD on reopening our shop. Sales: brilliant first day, then deathly quiet for 7 days. Possibly people saw photos of crowded London shopping streets + were scared. This weekend has picked up again + yesterday was great. Some customers are just enjoying spending almost for its +
own sake, after months of not physically shopping for fun. People are, for the most part, delighted with our new wash hand basins, and follow the rules; hot water, tiny individul soaps and paper towels. Others are not, feeling their hand sanitiser is enough. They don’t get to +
enter. Nothing is 100% but just plastering hand sanitiser all day on top of dirty hands seems pretty yuck to me. Also risky. Plenty of customers have actually had Covid, and all have differing stories to tell. Seems in many households some coped well, others less so, but every +
single day we’ve had someone in who has had the virus. One vulnerable client has died. She was unwell + their household had a young visitor from London who brought it with him, and she died. Many of our regular customers are shielding. One rang me up to say when saw our ad in +
local paper to say we’d reopened she nearly burst into tears. She will come in August 1st. Prompted me to decide we will open out of hours for the shielders + the fearful who can then come + browse or shop alone, + tell me their Lockdown stories. Meanwhile I’m rather grumpy with+
those who try + barter as if in a bazaar. They watch too much TV. Everyone needs to understand small businesses will struggle to keep going; likewise we’re looking to book a brief awaybreak at a UK hotel + I won’t try + beat them down on price. Feel, in Govt’s words, it’s my +
‘civic duty’ to support other businesses + keep wheels of our economy turning. Customers have been mixed bag of ages, locals + Londoners keen to day trip. It’s been particularly lovely to see children + yesterday one little girl so THRILLED to be back with friends at school +
She’s in a “bubble” with several others and I cannot properly describe the smile that lit up her face when she was telling me about it. London customers just so glad to be out of the city. Their stories chime with what West Country estate agents report that many citydwellers are+
looking to buy, not second homes, but main residences out here. Seeking village life + to get away from London, Bristol, Gloucester. Lockdown has shown us how blessed those of us who live in villages in lovely rural locations are, and how community spirit has kept us going. So +
my conclusions from reopening fortnight. Life must go on. Virus is real + very dangerous for some, so hygiene message bears constant repetition. Those with money will spend if encouraged. Children should be back in school soonest. Early days but looks like we can bounce back. End
